Day 261: A soldier named Luke

Yesterday I stopped by the Oregon National Guard Armory and was met at the door by Major Lee. He asked how he could help me and I told him about how I’d been giving away pies and how I hoped to give a pie to a National Guard soldier for the holidays. He looked at me and told me he’d heard about my pie journey and then he said I looked familiar to him. That’s when I read the name on his uniform and realized that we had been students together in the Master in Management Program at Southern Oregon University a few years ago.

That is how Major Lee and I reconnected. And after hearing my story, Major Lee suggested that I give my pie of the day to a young guardsman who had just moved to Ashland. Major Lee actually introduced me to the soldier yesterday and told him that I would be stopping by today. That new soldier nodded and accepted a meeting that he might not have fully grasped.

Today I made an Apple Crumb Crust Pie for Luke, an Oregon National Guardsman. He does not know me at all but when I presented him with his pie he was genuinely pleased. At one point he said, “It’s nice to know that people still do things like this.” And then he said, “You’ve made my day.” And that is all that I could wish for… and in my heart of hearts I hope that there will always be people who are willing and able to do things like this – because I think we should always recognize and honor the soldiers that serve us for the effort it takes to do this seems so small compared to the service that a soldier gives.

Tags: Apple Crumb Crust pie, Luke, Major Lee, Oregon National Guard, You've made my dayl